Conventional multi-sample shading techniques compute one color value per fragment (a collection of samples in a pixel that are covered by one triangle) and the one color value is replicated to all covered samples within the pixel to produce an image with anti-aliased edges. Super-sample shading techniques compute a color for every sample in a fragment, producing an image with anti-aliased edges as well as anti-aliased shading in the interior primitive regions. Therefore, super-sampling typically produces a higher quality anti-aliased image compared with multi-sampling. In general, the processing frame rate using super-sampling is proportional to the number of samples, while the frame rate using multi-sampling is proportional to the number of pixels.
Thus, there is a need for balancing processing performance and image quality during shading and/or addressing other issues associated with the prior art.